New Hampshire lawmakers are considering new rules to take cellphones out of the hands of drivers.

Texting while driving is already against the law in the Granite State, but some think it needs to be taken a step further. A bill being considered would forbid drivers from holding their cellphones.

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The way Rep. George Sykes, D-Lebanon, sees it, the numbers make his bill a no-brainer.

"Last year in New Hampshire, 28 percent of fatal crashes in this state were due to distracted driving, and using cellphones and other devices was an important component of that," Sykes said.

Under the bill, hands-free devices for cellphones would still be allowed, as would calls for emergency services. But some lawmakers said talking and texting are very different things.

"People talk to me about, 'Oh, you shouldn't be on the cell,'" said Rep. Shawn Jasper, R-Hudson. "I say, look, if I have someone on the seat next to me, I'll be more distracted by talking to them because I'm going to turn my head."

The bill would also ban the use of cellphones entirely for underage drivers, a move even some young motorists think might be a good idea."When I'm a passenger, I always say, 'Oh my gosh, why are you texting?'" said University of New Hampshire student Ingrid Olmstead. "But then I do the same thing."

Forty-one states have a ban on texting and driving, and about a dozen of those have also their laws to exclude hand-held cellphone use.